Facebook bid on AOL patent portfolio before Microsoft acquisition

Earlier this month, Microsoft successfully bought AOL’s portfolio of tech patents to the tune of $1.06 billion. However, according to a new report from Bloomberg News, Facebook apparently bid on the same set of patents, according to "two people with knowledge of the matter."

As high-profile intellectual property cases continue to unfold in courtrooms and boardrooms around the world, many companies, most notably Google, Yahoo, Apple, Samsung, and others are trying to sue, counter-sue, and defend themselves against alleged infringement. Yahoo, for example, sued Facebook just over a month ago, over patents having to do with online advertising, among others.